Monday, April 30, 2012

In 1980 in the case of Stone v. Gramm, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to hang the Ten Commandments on the wall of a school room.6

Think about that for a moment. The Ten Commandments are the foundation of Western Civilization. Our entire legal system is rooted in them.

The reasoning of the Court was right out of the "Twilight Zone." The Court stated that "if the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the school children to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments." The Court then proceeded to state that these were not "permissible objectives." Is it any wonder that so many of our schools have become jungles of drugs and violence?

Modernizing the Commandments

A man by the name of Ken Matto has revised the Ten Commandments to reflect current values. He calls his revision "The Ten Replacements."7

Thou shalt create gods in man's image to confirm the deity of man and the evolution of intelligence. Your gods may be created according to self-revelation.

Thou shalt make unto thyself images and symbols of your beliefs. If your image is a cow or a rock star or a pentagram, that is fine. All things are relative in the evolution of the species.

Thou shalt take the name of God and Jesus in vain since Jesus was not God, and God is anything you care to make him — or her.

Thou shalt profane the Sabbath Day because you get double time on Sunday, and your family need not be in church since it is full of hypocrites. And furthermore, isn't making money the important thing?

Thou shalt dishonor thy father and mother because they are only good to bail you out of jail or put a roof over your head. Too bad they don't possess the wisdom and knowledge of the years like you do, being a 13 year old.

Thou shalt kill since you will only be acting on pent up rage because your father disciplined you one time when you were 5.

Thou shalt commit adultery. After all, we have a free thinking and open society, and since your faith is in science, you know they will soon come up with a cure for AIDS or Herpes Simplex II.

Thou shalt steal, for isn't everybody doing it? When you get out into the workplace you can steal time, pencils, products, and anything else you deserve. After all, didn't you have a deprived childhood because daddy and mommy refused to buy you $90 attitude pants with the crotch down to your knees?

Thou shalt bear false witness. After all, it really isn't false witness; it is just looking out for number one. If a good lie at the right time saves your hide, come on, why not?

Thou shalt always covet your neighbor's things because if you outdo them, your self-esteem will skyrocket, and you will finally be someone special. Remember, your pride is the most important thing.

The amazing thing is that in the midst of all this moral depravity, we have the audacity to call ourselves a "Christian nation"! The fact of the matter is that we are a post-Christian nation that is now wallowing in secularism and paganism. The comedian Steve Allen summed it up well in a remark he often made about the American entertainment industry: "We have vulgarians entertaining barbarians."

Where did America get off course? How have we managed to move so quickly from a God-fearing nation to one that thumbs its nose at God?

In the next segment of this series on the decay of society, we'll look at how we as a society got on the road to depravity.

Notes

6) Stone v. Graham, 449, U.S. 39 (1980). For a good survey of court decisions that have impacted America's schools in a negative way, see David Barton's book, America: To Pray or Not to Pray, (Aledo, Texas: WallBuilder Press, 1991).

7) Mailed to the author in 1997 by Ken Matto. Ken lives in Edison, New Jersey where he works as a production planner in a coffee company. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Bethany Theological Seminary.

40 comments:

While the Law identifies sin and points us to the need for redemption, it will not save us! It was true that in the past you would see the 10 Commandments posted in all government offices, specifically in Judicial halls! The problem arose when people realized the judicial system and all facets of government did not honor this biblical foundation and corruption had spread!

In essence America was no different than any other nation in the context of using religion as a means of power over others. The Civil Rights movement revealed the hypocrisy of this nation before the eyes of many. Native Americans continue to suffer poverty and exploitation at the hands of the government.

This corruption began in the early 1900's during the time of the roaring 20's we did see a New America no longer bound by morality, it was a time of excess and immorality unrestrained. Yes, we have been here before, the rebellion of this nation is not a new invention. When the Great Depression occurred, suddenly everyone was filling the Churches and thus began the building boom, where religion was the new fad and Churches dotted the landscape of every corner across America!

As we can all see plainly, this nation moves in cycles, America had recently risen to another pinnacle yet now is cascading down. The difference is however, that no longer are people clamoring to religion or seeking the mercy of God in repentance, Government is their new god! The citizens of this nation look for a Presidential Candidate to lift them out of the pit, whether they represent their religious views or not. Consider the fact that many evangelicals are willing to vote for a Mormon (Mitt Romney) regardless of the fact Mormonism is a cult! They are willing to compromise the very tenents of the Christian faith in the hopes that they will see a return to prosperity and maintain their lavish lifestyles.

OBESE PEOPLE???!!! Excuse me, Mr. Collich! Why did you put obese people on that list?! Do obese people really deserve to be on the same list with car thieves, pornographers and illegal drug users?

I looked up the Lamb and Lion Ministries page with photos of your staff. Hey, Mr. Collich, many people on there look quite “healthy”…including “Trey Collich”.

Saying obesity is an embarrassment is one thing…but to include it with the other things on that list in an article about the decay of the nation is another. How do obese people compare to prisoners, pornographers and drug users???!!!

I myself, being overweight, which happens to a lot of us when we get older, am completely offended by you including obese people in your article. It was insensitive and offensive.

Before you say I am OVER sensitive consider the following paragraph with points out one of YOUR physical features:

I notice you didn't add BALD people to your list...why is that? I'd rather be fat than bald!

Billy, that was a clever cover! Interesting that the Pilgrims had a good relationship with the natives, yet conveniently they were later identified as savages as we raped their land and slaughtered women and children. Then of course all men are created equal as long as they were white europeans!

As you examine the history of the United States in more depth it becomes rather difficult to see a Christian heritage among all the corruption, civil strife, revolution, and wars! The demonizing of ethnic groups to rob and maintain power over them is prominently displayed. It seems every ideological position and ethnic group across the globe today challenge the prosperity of America and evidently, we will not rest until we invade, rape them of their resources and kill significant portions of their populace to maintain our status of false prosperity and wealth!

It is not hard to see that in all these years America has not changed, it is still the righteous nation it once was yet even more so, as evidenced with the numerous Churches seen everywhere! We continue to make sure every nation on the globe is aware of our heritage as we invade them, rob them, and kill them! Our national anthem even glorifies our heritage of war "rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air"! The nations that purchase U.S. debt to keep the American war machine humming and our lifestyle buzzing are also considered developing nations, as if they were below our standard, that is humorous, don't you think?

What you said in paragraph 1 of your response is true. But from historical documents I have read not all Native Americans were just sitting around smoking peace pipes. They have just as many murderous savages as we did.

By what I was speculating on was if God controls what nations exist or get wiped out, was the destruction of the Native Americans, who you must admit were pagans, part of a divine plan.

Was it the will of God that they be destined to be overthrown and the U.S. created?

That was the angle I was most interested in and speculating on.

Native Americans were pagans. The settlers were Christians. Did God use the settlers to create what did become a Christian nation?

This was just a thought that crossed my mind. I wasn't trying to be judgemental or playing favorites.

(Just so you know, my great grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee Native American...Native American blood runs through my veins)

Billy, I agree totally with the above, I just tire of the fact that so many seek to portray America as the most righteous nation on earth and that every generation that precedes the former is far worse. What these people fail to understand is that behavior is a learned process, children learn from their parents.Evidently the era of "Leave it to Beaver" had some skeletons in the closet that their children became aware of and emulated!

I ranted and raved over an article in the Lamplighter implicating people with an obesity problem with criminals and others that are sharing responsibility with the decay of America.

Normally I don't care that I am overweight and will joke about it. Just as Nathan was wisecracked about himself, to the effect of "I guess I'm stuck with this face for eternity", I similarly was non-chalant, you could say jovial, about my extra pounds (fat people are jolly, right?). See, it honestly doesn't bother me.

So why did I get so riled? (I was truly suprised at myself in fact). It's all said in the first paragraph. You DON'T insinuate that overweight people are part of a decaying society. Nor should people with mental disorders by associated on that list. Do people with mental disorders choose to have them? Are those born with mental disabilities part of the decaying of America? And just how does a decaying America translate into increased mental disorders???!!!

Anyway, it's a new day and I've had my say and I'm over it and going to move on and forget it.

I think, Billy, the list shows that America ranks #1 in obesity, which may for some (not you) points to gluttony. Anyway, in the picture you took with Dr. Reagan you're not heavy.

Wow, Rodney, for one of America's soldiers you're sure hard on this country. It has its bad qualities as well, but where in the world can Christians live without being slaughtered on a daily basis? That protection is from God.

Nathan, a soldier is one that fights for the security of this nation, today we fight for corporate gain under the auspices of U.N. authority! The War on Terrorism is a smokescreen for profits of the pharmacuetical and petroleum industry! With little research you will find what I am saying to be true!

When this nation has the largest military defense budget in the world and is presently the largest debtor nation, it is not difficult to supply the illusion of freedom!When the United States owns the printing press holding the globe hostage to purchase their increasing debt or suffer military consequences, it appears our freedom exists as long as other nations continue to carry the burden of America's false prosperity!

So it is by your declaration Nathan, that we are a righteous nation above all others and it is God that guarantees our freedom to invade and destroy soveriegn nations and rob them of their resources. Afghanistan has no tanks, nor fighter aircraft or bombers, no naval forces, yet we remain occupying their nation claiming an ongoing mission! We are in a war on terror yet have allied with Al Qaeda and other terrorist networks to foment regime change in Libya, Egypt, and now are attempting the same in Syria.

Nathan, the perspective you have of America if you do not mind me saying, is a little naive! America is not the righteous nation many evangelicals are busy portraying, examine the events of 9/11 and you can identify the warning of the Lord God upon this nation! Has this nation repented or does it seek to increase more in its lust for wealth and decadence, a closer examination will reveal that our wealth as well as our freedom is an illusion!

Rodney, u r so on ur on planet. Most of the time i ignore ur narcisistic comments, but my husband died protecting the greatest country on earth... which is america by the way... and ur comments would make him turn over in his grave. Shame on u :(

And this is why, Rodney, you're the loveable guy we all know and like. ;) Go back and re-read our series with Peter Marshall starting with this article or "Christ in Prophecy" episodes Interview 25 and 26. You need to see the bigger picture.

Part of me agrees with Rodney and part with Susie. I finally figured out why that is.

Rodney is right that the government of the U.S. is run by a bunch of corrupt politicians in cahoots with a bunch of other corrupt people/governments out for power and greed and evil. And these creeps and supported by a loud, vocal minority (liberal leftist radicals) with much power thanks to the media which is controlled by their kind.

Susie is right in that this is the greatest country on Earth because of the American people. The majority of the American people are still good, generous, God fearing individuals who believe in the principles and ideals that America was founded on.

That is why America can be seen as both a travesty and a glory at the same time.

Billy, yes ur right.... but when a person stops looking at the reality of both sides and focuses only on the negative .... bitterness grows and we all know what the Lord says about our fruit! U can see what a person is all about by their fruit! Now that is not a dig at rodney, cuz i love u in the Lord just like my other friends here. But i love my country and am very proud to be american. Tho im not ignorant to the sad fact that we have serious issues. The time is near .... my ear is leaning...listening for the trumpet blast!!! Maranatha!!!

The Ten Commandments are the ultimate moral code for man. I've always heard others,not of the Christian faith, say Christians aren't the only people with morals. That all humans want good etc. What I find interesting is that the Ten Commandments are the ones that are being attacked, and I do know they are most prominent. The fear of satan in the power of the word of God must be staggering for him. So attacking everything about God is happening. They are SCARED!!! Why? because even satan knows it is the TRUTH. Look at what is attacked in the world and you may see what is true. Just my two cents worth. God Bless!

friend said "I've always heard others,not of the Christian faith, say Christians aren't the only people with morals. That all humans want good etc."

Unfortunately, what those "others" don't understand is that Christians understand that morality is defined by God, not by anyone else. That is what they don't like. They want to define their own moral standards and not have to follow God's.

Billy, yes i agree our country isnt the same anymore. But its no surprise really. It just upsets me when people trash it so hard core. Its still the greatest country on earth and we have freedoms still not found elsewhere. Having said that, israel is where i yearn to be! ;)

Friend, i agree with ur comment especially the fact that satan is doin dome serious scrambling right now knowing his time is close! Hahaand personally i think the unwillingness of being accountable to God is another reason people think they can be moral without Him.

Nathan, I read the article you referenced and I agree with the premise, unfortunately the Puritan's never gained control in the government, prominence was provided to a much darker sect whose goals were to use religion as a pretext for global domination!

I would also suggest that our perspective regarding American history and its current status varies depending on your personal perspective shaped by your environment! If you were taught that America is inheritently righteous and that this nation is the pinnacle of justice and morality, then you would always believe it to be true as long as you remained isolated from the truth!

There are some that all they have known was a Church environment, their schools, friends, and social networks, in essence, their daily perspective is shaped by this environment! They are taught that Christianity has always dominated this nation, yet you will never hear this same perspective being honestly touted by secular society!

As long as we continue to believe we are a righteous and holy nation and founded by divine providence, then obviously there is no need to call this nation to repentance! It is also an interesting fact readily recognized in the scriptures that Israel is the only nation founded by the Lord God and has a distinct destiny of restoration and redemption.

Christianity is not defined by borders, it is global, America does not hold the deed to Christianity, it does however possess it for Apostasy and we export it at a rapid pace! This nation from its beginning has been shaped by Luciferian sects, which continue to ensure that they remain in powerful positions preparing the way for their long awaited Messiah! Faith is a requirement as a Christian, blind patriotism and nationalism is not!

Israel is a backward nation trusting in their own might and diplomacy, in their rebellion the Lord God will cause them to know him as he prepares to bring a mighty coalition against them! Regardless of how many border fences they construct or the calling up of Reserves to secure these borders, these enemies are being drawn by the hand of the Lord God against his people!

The Lord God is preparing to reveal his glory to all nations! I pray it will bring the repentance of many and that they might know and understand his great plan for redemption of all as found in the sacrifice of Yeshua!

Someone once said, that my fruits are evil, that I reveal a rebellious spirit, yet what these refuse to acknowledge is that the truth is a hard thing and can not be watered down to the satisfaction of the hearer, lest the truth be compromised with fables.

Rodney... the truth cant be watered down..... i agree with that but i dont think u r correct as much as u seem to think u r. Personally, i try to maintain some level of humility, realizing we r all in this together and we ALL need to be willing to keep learning. :)Im in agreement with u in prayer for the lost to answer the call to repentence and give their lives to the Lord.

Billy, we are commanded to preach the Gospel to every creature, yet if they reject this message it is to their own peril! The Lord God did not give us a nation, he gave us a message or love letter directly from the throne! We as Christians are not defined by borders or nations, for we are ambassadors having a heavenly citizenship!

At present we do not control this nation, nor are we in the spheres of power, while we are acknowledged in every election campaign, we fundamentalist Christians are considered the enemy of globalism and therefore an enemy of the State! Obviously with the current state of affairs with the embrace of homosexuality and the increase in abortion protected by the State, we can be assured that Christian influence is almost nonexistent in this nation.

We have our political rallies, show of support for Israel, even voice our opinions regarding various social issues yet ultimately there is a prominent absence of power! As Christians we do not influence America, America influences us, at every step we have sought to compromise our faith and our worship to accommadate the world and even they can percieve our hypocrisy!

What is missing is the power of the Holy Spirit which convicts all of their ungodliness, therefore we can conclude that in this absence the vast majority of Christians in this nation, are in name only, having a form of godliness, yet denying the power thereof! We go to Church, we pray, we sing the hymns, we follow tradition and ceremony, yet we are absent of power because our faith is in ourselves not in Christ!

having a form of godliness but denying the power is a hebrewism about those who have no relationsip with God at all and the whole passage means them not saved at all, not the apostate christians, but the lost who depend on there own good deeds and ideas that seem right to them but the end is destruction.

@Rodney, you appear to live in an either/or world. But, life can be both/and as well.

America was founded on Christian principles as a godly nation, but we've always had a secular element in it as well, one that is flourishing in this age. So, America can exist for God's purposes as a light, but also spew forth darkness. It's not either/or but both/and.

Actually Nathan, what fellowship has light with darkness, without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit there is no power! That is my point foremost, that we can paint a picture of the glorious dominion of Christianity in the United States yet that would not be a true depiction now would it? We are a powerless entity seeking to bring change through political means and social control measures by endorsing a false theological position known as Dominionism! Christianity in America has its pomp and pageantry but lacks true faith and love, similar to that of the Pharisee's claiming their heritage as Son's of Abraham as sufficient enough! They had the knowledge yet no power which is found the exercising of our faith!

Nathan, one more thing to be clear as I state earlier, there is only one nation that was divinely ordained by God to be a light unto all nations and it is not America!Though we would like to claim that heritage it can not be done, a true examination of the history of this nation reveals an ever present darkness that is now become more prevalent, of that I agree! As individual believers however we can be a light unto the world as messengers of the gospel!I have always believed that this rebellious nation remains, simply due to the large Jewish presence yet even that will soon change!

Politically speaking, I agree with Rodney's comment that Christians don't have much power left. Rodney also mentioned that individual believers (regardless of nationality) can be a light unto the world as messengers of the gospel, which is also very true. I just thought it is also important to point out that Amercian missionaries make up 31.75% (127,000 out of 400,000)of all missionaries around the world, which is by far the most. While American secular society is sadly more influential world wide, I think this helps to show that there really are many Americans out there who are still making a difference for Christ. So, I also agree with Nathan that it isn't totally an either/or situation, despite the fact that the secular part of our society is larger and more influential.

I hold a bachelor's in American History. I always get a kick out of the liberal mantra of how the White Man stole this nation, raped, killed, etc etc.. Yes, land was stolen, treaties were broken, atrocities did happen, but that is just one side of the story. Long before Europeans established Jamestown in what is known as the US, Indian tribes battled each other, murdered, stole land, enslaved, etc. There were two Indian tribes that wanted to annihilate each other following the Puritans arrival, so what one tribe would do is dress as the opposing tribe, attack the Puritans, then, send representatives to the Puritans and "inform" them that their opposition had attacked the Puritan colony knowing the Puritans would take matters into their hands to "defend" themselves by attacking the "aggressors." This happened constantly.

Atrocities happened on both sides, it wasn't just the evil White Man... Those that believe this have swallowed Liberal revisionist history.

Rodney said "...there is only one nation that was divinely ordained by God to be a light unto all nations and it is not America!..."

Rodney, that is simply not true!

If you had said "...that was [originally] divinely ordained by God..." I prolly wouldn't have commented.

1st of all, everything that was, is, and is to be, was "...divinely ordained by God..." before the foundation of the world.

And 2ndly, apparently Matthew 21:43 does not fit into your strange eschatology.

As I pointed out way back here "...there was only 1 nation in the world that was still on the rise to its zenith that would qualify as that 'specific nation' to whom Israel’s blessing had passed to, to provoke Israel to jealousy [Rom.10:19-20]

The grafting of the Gentiles by faith was the method to provoke Israel to jealousy not the creation of America! Gentiles in Greece, Rome, and to the uttermost reaches of the earth had accepted the testimony of Christ as found in the Gospel while it was rejected by Israel with the exception of the Apostles and those of their brethren they did witness to and accepted it without reservation!

Indeed we have more missionaries being sent from America simply because we have more freedom of movement, while in most nations obtaining a visa to travel is extremely difficult! It is much the case however that these missionaries travel to points with Churches already established which makes no sense to me!

The Puritans carried a belief that if the natives would not accept their religious indoctrination in the burgeoning battle for converts, then surely they were nothing more than savages, barely even human! As it was for the Spanish Cross (Catholics) and the Puritans theirs was a battle of supremacy, yet they also required a military arm for protection. These were granted the spoils as they conquered the New World in the name of their brand of religion through torture and cruelty!

I personally try not to rewrite history for the benefit of any party! Though some might identify my beliefs as Liberalism, I do not share in this accessment, an accurate depiction would a realist!My view of the History of America is not based on speculation, it is based on historical facts that I am sure we all are aware of even though obviously some chose to deny! Quite frankly, I believe if Abraham was bargaining with the Lord God today for America like that of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gommorrah, I believe we would have the same fate as these cities.

"My view of the History of America is not based on speculation, it is based on historical facts"

You have got to love this. You just stated here that my eduction is based on nothing more than speculation... You are a classic know-it-all Rodney...

No, I didn't spend hundreds of hours poring over historical documents and studying for my degree... That was sarcasm if you didn't catch that. Rodney, plain and simple; you don't know all and your view on history is based very much so on your formed opinion. I stated a simple fact that the Indians were just as guilty of atrocities as any "evil white man," but you will not concede that to be true, which it is!

Ridiculous...

It is absolutely a waste of time conversing with you. Your attitude and the way you speak to brothers and sisters in Christ is not Christ-like.

Gideon, in your educated bliss you were provided with knowledge afforded by professor's whose knowledge is limited and in most cases revisionist and politically motivated! Those historical documents you examined were no doubt recommended by your instructor that were hand picked to support his particular view of historical events!

Good grief man, stop making accusations about other people. I pulled information from numerous sources, often I debated my professors due to the fact they were interested in indoctrination and revisionist history and not telling the true story. Again, this is a major problem with you, you are quick to judge and slow to listen!